Machine for automatic placement of sliders and associated method

Abstract

The invention concerns a machine ( 1 ) for automatic placement of sliders, including in particular: a first supplier ( 100 ) for supplying closure profiles ( 20 ), said closure profiles ( 20 ) being provided with complementary means ( 22 ) allowing the progression of the closure profiles ( 20 ) in said machine ( 1 ); a second supplier ( 200 ) for supplying sliders ( 10 ); a device ( 400 ) for placing sliders ( 10 ); and a separator guide ( 300 ), situated opposite the device ( 400 ) for placing sliders, said guide ( 300 ) comprising a guide channel ( 310 a, 310 b ) in which the closure profiles ( 20 ) progress, the width of said channel ( 310 a, 310 b ) being smaller than the thickness of the closure means ( 22 ), such that when the profiles ( 20 ) are brought by the supply means ( 100 ) into the separator guide ( 300 ), the closure means ( 22 ) do not penetrate the guide channel ( 310 a, 310 b ) while the portion ( 23 ) underlying said closure means ( 22 ) is squeezed by the walls of the guide channel ( 310 a, 310 b ), in order to separate the respective free ends ( 21 ) of the closure profiles ( 20 ).

1 . A machine for automatic placement of sliders, including in particular:
 a first supplier for supplying closure profiles, said closure profiles being provided with complementary means allowing the progression of the closure profiles in said machine;   a second supplier for supplying sliders   a device for placing sliders; and   a separator guide, situated opposite the device for placing sliders, said guide comprising a guide channel in which the closure profiles progress, the width of said channel being smaller than the thickness of the closure means, such that when the profiles are brought by the supply means into the separator guide, the closure means do not penetrate the guide channel while the portion underlying said closure means is squeezed by the walls of the guide channel, in order to separate the respective free ends of the closure profiles.   
     
     
         2 . The automatic placement machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the width of the channel is essentially equal to the thickness of the portion of the profiles underlying the closure means. 
     
     
         3 . The automatic placement machine of  claim 1 , wherein the guide is a single piece, and the guide channel is a rabbet. 
     
     
         4 . The automatic placement machine of  claim 1 , wherein the guide is formed by two adjacent units, and that their adjacent walls are separated in whole or in part by the guide channel. 
     
     
         5 . The automatic placement machine of  claim 4 , wherein the units of the separator guide are mobile in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the closure profiles in the machine. 
     
     
         6 . The automatic placement machine of  claim 1 , wherein the separator guide also includes a recess formed opposite the placement device, at the mouth of the guide channel. 
     
     
         7 . The automatic placement machine of  claim 1 , wherein the recess has a hemispherical, conical or dihedral shape, the concavity of which is oriented toward the placement device. 
     
     
         8 . The automatic placement machine of  claim 1 , wherein the component materials of the separator guide belong to the following group: plastic, metal. 
     
     
         9 . The automatic placement machine of  claim 1 , further comprising means for manufacturing a bag equipped with closure profiles provided with a slider. 
     
     
         10 . A method for placing a slider on closure profiles, comprising the steps of:
 supplying closure profiles, said closure profiles being provided with complementary closure means, and making them progress in an automatic slider placement machine;   supplying sliders, said sliders comprising a base ( 11 ) that includes two side flanks and a central wall, the side flanks and the central wall defining, in combination, two non-parallel channels that respectively receive free ends of the profiles; and   sequentially engaging a slider on the closure profiles;   
       the method further including a step wherein the respective ends of the closure profiles are positioned opposite the corresponding channels of the slider and separated by pinching by a separator guide from the portions of the closure profiles underlying the closure means, so as to facilitate the engagement of the slider on said profiles.